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Berlin Trade Show Preview: Bright

by Maria Hunstig — January 08, 2014

From January 15 - 17, and therefore with the usual one-day shift in comparison to most of the other Berlin fairs, the 18th edition of skate and streetwear trade show Bright will take place on new grounds. After two seasons in the Alte Münze location, Bright will find a new home in the former department store “Kaufhaus Jahndorf”, Brunnenstraße 19-21. Next to its very central location in the heart of the Berlin Mitte district, the trade show organizers especially value the venue’s openness: “We are excited for the new location because the room is very open and leaves no options for nesting so the flow of communication should be very smooth,” says Marco Aslim, one of the two Bright co-founders.

Due to its restricted size, Bright will host a few less brands than last season. Among the 250 exhibitors are several respected names such as Diamond, Kangol, Hummel, Criminal Damage, SSUR from L.A. and Mishka from New York. The biggest name to be missed this season will be skate brand DC. Generally, the show’s focus is shifting more towards streetwear, while skate is losing ground. However, this is not caused by deliberate trade show policy as Marco Aslim highlights, but simple “natural selection”, which is partially, affected by the somewhat smaller space and slightly raised booth prices.

On Thursday evening (January 16), Bright will host the third edition of the Bright European Skate Awards in close cooperation with Vans. On the grounds of the 2014 re-issue of House of Vans, this time located at Alexanderplatz, the skate awards will be given in a “rock’n’roll gala show” and presented by American comedian David Deery.